Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Tuesday Tips - Storing Quilts

We'd like to suggest a couple of ways to store quilts to avoid those aggravating and seemingly permanent creases from occurring. 
First, roll your quilts.
Using a pool noodle, (the kind kids play with in the pool) Roll up to 5 quilts on one noodle. This will eliminate fold creases. You may want to cover the noodle first, with muslin or a cheap white cotton sheet then wrap your rolled up quilts in muslin or cotton sheet.

 FOLD QUILTS ON THE BIAS
Step one, fold bottom left corner over
 
Step 2, fold bottom right corner over to line up with first fold.
Step 3, fold top right corner over to line up with second fold.
Step 4, fold top left corner over to make square.
Then fold in half
And...there you go! :)

Suggestions welcome! Please comment, and share your favorite ways to store quilts! We'd love to learn more! :)

-Sew Kind of Wonderful-

8 comments:

Shelley: the Dread Pirate Rodgers said...

The noodles I bought were only 47" long ... that will fit a twin quilt or smaller. I rarely make a quilt smaller than a double.

However, I like solutions. The noodles are hollow so if I put a dowel between two noodles to connect them, I can get a noodle as long as I need.

But then, I have a new problem ... where the heck do I STORE the noodle?? If I have a noodle as wide as a king sized quilt, I am at a loss as to where something that long could be stored. I haven't figured out a solution to that one ... yet.

(My quilts are stored in a glass "cedar chest" and, yes, are folded. But I sure can fit a LOT of quilts in there! Unfortunately, I realize that the stacked quilts put quite a bit of pressure on the bottom quilts, so this really isn't a viable long term storage solution .. but it will do for now.)

Farm Quilter said...

If you buy rolls of batting, the cardboard center of it can be used like the pool noodle - cover with a layer or two of batting and a cotton sleeve, roll quilts around it and then make a sleeve that will accommodate the whole package. Store in a closet, horizontally on a wall rack...you could even rig up a system to suspend the rolls across the ceiling! Just think of the added insulation value that would create!!

utahoosier said...

I'm with Shelley, "Where the heck do I STORE the noodle?"

Sarah said...

I picked up a hanging rail from Ikea that fits in the eves of the loft. I sort of roll my lap quilts and then use clip hangers (like you hang skirts with) along the rolled/gently folded edge. Larger quilts get the same treatment with an added hanger at each folded edge so I have a large quilt loop - like a saggy hammock! It stops fold creases forming and means I can still see the pretty quilts while I'm working up there!

Jenny said...

Thanks everyone for your comments and other quilt storage ideas! Where to store them seems to always be a challenge...under beds perhaps, or on the floor in closets.

dq said...

I love your "fold on the bias" tutorial. I will have to start doing it.

I find it funny that we spend so much money and hours of our time to make quilts that we "store". Yup! I am SO GUILTY! Some quilts are too special or pretty to use too much. :)

Rose in VT said...

For larger quilts I put the noodle ends together, pin fabric scraps if you don't want to use tape. Roll up the quilt, and cut off the excess noodle. I put them in two shelving units side by side, that are open on the ends.

The diagonal fold method can be problematic for medium sized quilts that aren't heavy enough to pull out the crease mark. I had this happen to a quilt with wool batting, and a month after it was hung up, the crease still showed.

Hope this helps.

Anonymous said...

The best place to store a quilt is on a bed. If you have a best room that's perfect. You can store as many as you have. Rotate them for pretty preference. Or cover the top one so dust and sunlight don't damage your quilts.